This invention relates generally to an improved portable data terminal and a system for communicating information over a wireless communication network using the portable terminal.
The use of data collecting portable computing terminals such as the PPT 4100 and the PPT 4600 manufactured by Symbol Technologies, Inc., the assignee of the present invention, has been adopted in many commercial applications. These terminal systems may include integrated bar code readers which permit the collection, storage and distribution of a high volume of data without the need for extensive keypad data entry. These terminal systems also provide full computing capabilities using standard PC architectures. These terminal systems may also be provided with wireless communication radio systems such as Symbol Technologies, Inc. local area network radio system xe2x80x9cSPECTRUM24(trademark)xe2x80x9d. The SPECTRUM24(trademark) radio network system permits hand-held terminals to share and retrieve data in the proximity of local area networks with a central host.
Hand-held computing terminals offering various computing functions have been previously used in consumer applications. Examples of such systems are described in Dutch Patent Application No. 9002296 (xe2x80x9cthe ""296 Applicationxe2x80x9d) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,468,942 to Oosterveen et al. (xe2x80x9cthe Oosterveen Patentxe2x80x9d). The ""296 Application and the Oosterveen Patent describe systems in which an authorized customer is issued a terminal having an integrated bar code scanner to record merchandise purchases. The scanners maintain a list of merchandise selected for purchase by the customer within internal memory means. Prior to exiting the store, the information stored in the memory of a scanner is downloaded through a communication port attached to a terminal dispenser, and a printed ticket of the customer""s purchases is printed on a printer. The customer then proceeds to a checkout register where the customer tenders payment for the purchased merchandise. The systems may provide for the occasional audit of customers using the system to ensure integrity of the self-service system.
Commercially available prior art self-checkout systems have employed relatively simple and unsophisticated consumer systems which have generally been limited to providing simple pricing and product identification information.
It is the object of the present invention to provide an improved portable terminal and data communication system.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a standardized system for presenting data at a portable terminal by retrieving associated data files stored at remote addresses by employing a wireless communication network. In a preferred embodiment, the portable terminal employs a relatively simple microprocessor and system architecture while providing full graphics and audio support.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide improved access to generally available multi-media data files associated with an item identified by a portable terminal.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved self-scanning system which provides improved multi-media support and direct marketing functions.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a portable terminal having an integrated machine code reader and a radio is provided with a graphical user interface such as a xe2x80x9cweb browser.xe2x80x9d The terminal is provided with a display for illustrating help and instructional files associated with a selected item identified with the machine code reader. Thus, a warehouse clerk who reads a bar code from a box of potato chips will automatically retrieve from the central host an instruction file instructing the person where to forward the package, or in an alternative embodiment, an airplane mechanic will be provided with repair instructions from a central host for an engine part which is marked with a machine readable code. In an alternative embodiment, a consumer using a hand-held terminal in a self-scanning application of the present invention (sometimes referred to as self-shopping or self-checkout) receives marketing, pricing, and additional information from a central host for products she has scanned with her portable terminal.
The information downloaded to the hand-held terminal can be presented in any number of forms. The data can be presented in the form of a still picture, text, audio or as video. As a result, a mechanic unknown to the manufacture using an open standard communications network and a generic hand terminal can download a video image of an engine part and a video clip for the part providing instructions on its removal and repair. The use of standard data protocols such as those used currently on the Internet permit wide area accessibility over commercial and closed communication networks on any number of hardware platforms.
A preferred alternative embodiment of the present invention includes machine readable coded labels having one or more remote file location, such as uniform resurrect locators (xe2x80x9cURLSxe2x80x9d) used to reference sites on the world wide web. These URLs are used by the portable terminal to retrieve data files including items such as prices, nutritional data, coupon availability, promotions, marketing data and general interest data from various local and remote addresses available over a wireless communication network. The machine coded labels are preferably encoded with a high-density bar code such as PDF417. These URLs can be presented on the terminal display in the form of a hyperlink which submits a data retrieval request to a remote address upon selection. The displayed hyperlink could be presented on the display as either a direct address (URL) or a highlighted title for the address.
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, a portable terminal having a unique address on the system is provided with a voice transmission channel. This permits the terminal to function as a telephone and pager. The telephone line could be automatically established using an associated data link or by dialing a phone number.